Signature-gathering machine



H. L. FISHER.

SIGNATURE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1913.

1,194,987. Patented Aug. 15,1916.-

3 TEETS-SHEET I.

H. L. FISHER.

SIGNATURE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I6. I913.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

3 SHEETSSIIEET 2.

H. L. FISHER.

SIGNATURE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1913. 1,194,987.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

HENRY L. FISHER, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SIGNATURE-GATHERING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application and April 1a, 1913. Serial No. 761,517.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. Frsrrnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signature-Gathering Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in signaturegathering machines and as its principal object aims to provide means forcollecting the signatures, conveying them from the signature boxes intothe receiving trough, and imposing them one against the other inassembled order.

A further object resides in the provision of means for permitting anumber of signature piles to be placed in the machine at the same time,and in position where they may be fed under the gathering apparatus aseach pile is exhausted.

A still further object resides in the provision of improvementscontrolled by the gathering mechanism for automatically jogging thesignature from the gathering device down onto the conveying apparatus.

A yet further object is to provide a novel form of guide for thegathering device which will act to automatically direct the gatherersinto-the proper position of engagement with the slgnatures.

A still further object resides in the provision of means for gatheringthe signatures from their respective boxes and depositing them on theconveyer in the proper order.

The above and additional objects are ac complished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims whichare appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferredembodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughoutthe several views of which similar reference-numerals designatecorresponding parts: Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is an endelevation taken at the forward end of the machine. Fig. 3 is a sectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the gathering armsindicating by dotted lines the various positions taken by the arms ingathering a signature from its box .and depositing it on the conveyer.Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, illustrating in detailthe means employed in ogging the signatures from the gathering arms;'andFig. 6 is a detail view of one of the gathering arms. Fig. 7 is a detailview of the ratchet connection.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, the preferredembodiment of this invention includes four main elements, the gatheringdevice, the conveyer signature boxes and guides, the jogger forreleasing the signatures from the gathering arms and V depositing themon the conveyer, and the rotor for depositing the signatures in the receiving trough.

Gatherers.Taking up these elements in the order named, the gatheringmechanism of this invention includes an actuating apron I mounted forrotation around ter-v minal sprocket wheels, one of which is illustrated at 2. The sprocket wheels 2 are journaled between the verticallegs 4: and 5, and

6 and 7 of the main supporting frame. The

wheels 2 mesh with the links of a chain 3 secured to the inner face ofthe apron. This supporting frame is preferably formed of angle iron andfurther consists of the longitudinal beams 8 and 9, 10 and 11, and 12and 13, arranged in alined pairs as indicated, and connecting thevertical legs 4 and 6, 5 and 7. The lower terminals of the verticalbeams may be bolted or otherwise secured to the floor as at 14. Theapron 1 may be made of any suitable material, although spaced laterallyextending hingedly connected wooden slats are preferred. This apronmember is arranged for movement over the lateral leg portion of theangle iron beams 10, 11, 12 and 13, as will be observed by reference toFig.2. To the apron 1 are attached the gathering arms of this device.The gathering arms are arranged in pairs as indicated at '15 and 16, andconsist essentially in a bar member hinged at its upper terminal to theapron l as indicated at 17, and having its lower free terminalbifurcated to produce the fork tines 18. One tine of each gathering armcarries aplurality of pins 19 provided to engage the signatures andcarry them from their boxes, as

will be hereinafter described.

00nveyer.Taking up as next in order the conveying apparatus, thisfeature ofthe invention consists essentially in an apron 20 mounted formovement around pairs of terminal sprocket wheels, one pair of which isillustrated at 21. The sprocket wheels 21 are journaled between thevertical legs 4 and 5, and 6 and 7, and mesh with the links of thechains A and B. On the journaled shaft 23 a gear wheel 24 is arranged tomesh with a gear wheel 25 which is in turn operatively connected to agear wheel 26 of the shaft of the sprocket wheels 2 by a countergear 27for the purpose of permitting the aprons 1 and 20 to be driven from acom-' mon power source. The apron 20 is mounted to permit the movementof its upper portion immediately beneath the longitudinal beams 8 and 9,as illustrated in Fig. 2. Journaled in suitable brackets 28 of anysuitable type, carried on the vertical legs 6 and 7, and extendingforwardly therefrom is a pair of hubs 29, carrying radially extendingarcuate fingers 30, adapted to be driven simultaneously to receive thesignatures as they drop from the forward end of the apron and tosubsequently deposit them in the signature receiving trough designatedas an entirety by the numeral 32. A ratchet wheel 31' is seemed to oneend of the shaft 46 and journaled upon the shaft 46 is a rod 48 having adog 49 pivoted thereto, and adapted to normally engage the ratchet wheel31'. Pivotally connected to the free end of the rod 48 is a connectinglink 49 which is pivotally connected to the crank arm 31 and is rigidlymounted on the shaft 46, whereby a well-known ratchet mechanism isprovided to rotate the fingers 30 according to the movement of the belt20.

Signature boxes and guides.-Assuming that the machine is to be employedfor collecting the signatures of a book composed of three sections,there has been illustrated in the drawing three signature boxes 33, 34and 35. containing respectively the first, second and third signatures.As illustrated in Fig. 2, the signature boxes are formed with an openfront. Connecting the longitudinal beams 8 and 9 are three pairs ofangle iron supporting runners 36 for the signature boxes. It will beobserved from the foregoing that the signatures composing the firstsection of the book may be arranged in the box 33 in two or more pilesto permit the signature box to be fed through the machine, firstbringing the pile of one of the boxes under the gathering arms, then thepile in another box, when the pile in the first box has been exhausted.Each rear supporting runner 36 carries a pair of downwardly turnedsubstantially arcuate deflecting fingers 37, carried rearwardly of thesignature compartments and mounted in spaced relation to each other.vThese fingers 37 are provided for the purpose of deflecting the arms 15upwardly, as the apron rotates and moves the arms into the positionindicated in Fig. 1. It will be noted that the finger 37 will passbetween the tines 18 of the arms 15 as the apron progresses to bring thefree end of the arm toward the upper end of the signature boxes.Referring now more particularly to Fig. 4, it will be observed that aseach arm 15 passes over its guide 37 it will drop down into thesignature box, as illustrated by dotted lines at 38. By reason of thesudden fall of the arm, the pins 19 will pierce a portion of thesignature leaves with sufficient force to engage the signature and drawit from the box as the apron progresses, as illustrated at 3!) in Fig.4.

Strippcra-Jt is apparent that it will require some automatic device torelease the signature from the pins 19. In order to accomplish thisresult, this invention employs a stripper 40 pivotally connected at oneterminal to the horizontal leg 41 of an L- shaped standard 42 secured atits lower terminal to a runner '36. One of these members 42 is providedfor each signature box, and is mounted approximately mid-way between thelongitudinal beams 8 and 9. In the preferred form of this invention, thearms 15 and 16 are hinged to a cross bar 43 carried by the apron 1 andto the lower portion of the cross bars is secured an L-shaped supportingbracket 44, the lateral leg of which is arranged to engage the stripper40 and to swing it upwardly on its pivot 'as the apron progresses. Asthe strippers 40 are released from the supporting bracket 44. they willof course swing downward and strike the signature mid-way between thetwo arms 15 and 16. The movement imparted the signature by the stripper40 will be sufficient to disengage the signature from the pins and toforce it down upon the apron 20. The stripper 40 after striking thesignature swings back into its normal position, and by contact with thesignatures rearranges them in their normal position, acting to returnany signature which may have been loosened by the action of thegathering arm into its previous position in the signature box. Afterreturning to its normal position as indicated, in Fig. 4, the stripperis ready to be swung forward by the supporting bracket 44 of the nextpair of gathering arms. The shaft 46 of the roller 21 may be providedwith a belt wheel 47 by which operative connection may be had with amotor or other suitable power source.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention,illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yetrealizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my devicewill necessarily vary,

' supporting frame, an upper and lower apron supported therein andmounted in parallel spaced relation to each other, a plurality ofremovably mounted signature boxes arranged between the aprons, aplurality of separator arms hingedly secured to the upper apron, thefree ends ofsaid separator arms adapted to engage the top signature ofeach pile in succession and remove the signature from its box, means fordisengaging the signatures from said separator arms subsequent to theirwithdrawal from said signature boxes and causing them to be dropped uponthe lower of said aprons, means for rotating said aprons, a receivingtrough disposed adjacent one terminal of the lowermost apron and meansfor conveying the signatures from the lower apron to said receivingtrough.

2. A signature gatherin machine including a main supporting frame, apair of rotating aprons mounted therein and in parallel spaced relationto each other, means for rotating said aprons, a plurality of sig-'nature boxes removably arranged in said main frame and disposed betweensaid aprons, separator arms hingedly secured to said upper apron, thefree terminals of said arms adapted to engage and remove the topsignature of "each pile in succession during the rotation of said upperapron, means for guiding the signature arms into operative position insaid signatureboxes, means auto matically operated by said upper apronfor removing the signatures from said separator arms and causing them tobe dropped on said lower apron, a receiving trough disposed adjacent oneterminal of the lower apron and meansfor conveying the signatures fromthe lower apron to-said receiving trough.

3. A signature gathering machine including a main supporting frame, apair of rotating aprons mounted in said frame and in spaced superposedrelation to each other, means for rotating said aprons, a plurality ofseparator arms arranged in pairs onsaid upper apron, a plurality ofsignature boxes mounted on said frame between said apron, guide memberscarried by said signature boxes for deflecting the separator armsupwardly and directing them into operative position, means to disengagethe signatures from the separator, arms and ,for causing them to bedropped upon the lower apron, said means including a pivotally mountedstripper arm and means carried by said upper apron for automaticallylifting said stripper arms and releasing them after the operation ofsaid separator arms.

4. A signature gathering machine including a main supporting frame, anupper and lower apron rotatably' mounted within said frame, means forrotating said aprons, a plurality of signature boxes. disposed betweensaid aprons and removably mounted in said frame, a plurality ofseparator arms hingedly secured in pairs to said upper apron, said armseach consisting of a body portion having its lower terminal arcuatelybent and bifurcated to produce tines, a plurality of pins carried bysaid tines, guide members carried by each of said signature boxes, areceiving trough disposed adjacent one end of said lower apron, the freeterminals of said separator arms adapted to en-- gage the top signatureof each pile in succession and remove the signature from said boxes,means for removing the signatures from said separator arms and causingthem to be dropped upon said lower apron and means for conveying thesignatures from said lower apron into said receiving trough.

5. A signature-gathering machine including a main supporting frame, apair of rotating aprons mounted in said frame and in parallel spacedrelation to each other, means'for rotatingsaid aprons, a plurality ofsignature boxes removably mounted in said frame, a plurality ofseparator arms hingedly connected with the uppermost of said aprons, thefree ends of said separator arms adapted to engage the top signature ofeach pile in succession and remove the signatures from the boxes andcausing them to be dropped onsaid lower apron, a receiving troughdisposed adjacent one terminal of said lower apron within the frame,means for conveying the signatures from said lower apron into saidreceiving trough comprising a pair of hub members, a rotatable shaftfor. 'said hub members, said shaft being operatively connected to thedriving means for said aprons, and a plurality of radially extendingarcuate fingers carried by each of said hub members.

6. A signature gathering machine including a main supporting frame, apair of rotating aprons mounted in said frame in parallelsuperposed'relation to each other, means for rotating said aprons, aplurality of signature boxes removably mounted in said frame, a.plurality of separator arms hingedly connected with the uppermost apron,the free ends of said separator arms adapted to engage the top signatureof each pile in succession and remove the signatures from the boxes, astripper arm adapted for engagement with the signatures carried by theseparator arms to remove and causing them to be dropped upon the lowerapron, a signature-receiving trough disposed adjacent one end of saidlower apron and means for conveying the signatures from the lower apronto said receiving trough comprising a pair of hub members, a rotatableshaft for said hub members, said shaft operatively connected with thedriving means for said aprons, and a plurality of radially extendingarcuate fingers for each of said hub members.

7. A signature gathering machine, comprising a pair of spaced aprons, ofmeans for rotating said aprons, a plurality of signature boxes slidabletransversely between said aprons, supporting means for said signatureboxes, signature-removing means carried by one of said aprons, and meanscarried by said signature boxes for removing the signatures from saidlastnamed means and causing them to be dropped upon the other of saidaprons.

8. In a signature gathering machine, the combination with a pair ofspaced aprons of means for rotating said aprons, a plurality ofsignature boxes disposed between said aprons, means for removablysupporting said signature boxes extending transversely of said aprons,signature separating arms hingedly secured to one of said aprons, meanscarried by each of said signature boxes for removing the signatures fromsaid separating arms and causing them to be dropped upon the other ofsaid aprons and brackets carried by said first-mentioned apron foractuating said last-named means.

9. In a signature gathering machine, the

combination with a frame work of a pair of spaced aprons rotatablymounted thereon, means for rotating said aprons, a pair of spacedrunners mounted transversely of and between said a rons and upon saidframe, a plurality of signature boxes slidably mounted upon saidrunners, a plurality of signature-separating arms hin edly secured toone of said aprons and adapted to engage and remove the top signature ofeach pile from the boxes, means carried upon the free terminals of eachof said arms for removing the signatures from said signature boxes,means carried by each of said signature boxes for removing thesignatures from said last-named means and cansing them to be droppedupon the other of said aprons and a plurality of L-shaped bracketssecured to said first named apron for actuating said last named means.

10. In a signature gathering machine, the combination with apair ofrotatable aprons of means for rotating said aprons, a plurality ofsignature boxes disposed between 'said aprons, a plurality ofsignature-separating arms hingedly secured to one of said aprons, meansfor removing the signatures from said signature-separating arms andcausing them to be dropped upon the other of said aprons, a receivingtrough disposed adjacent said last named apron and means for conveyingthe signatures from said last named apron into said receiving trough.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY L. FISHER. \Vitnesses:

JAMES A. WARDE, L. B. GRASBERGER.

